Rick's Travel Philosophy
Rick’s Travel Philosophy
I was taught to not speak to strangers, keep your head down and don’t make eye contact when in a strange city. But Rick has a different philosophy on travel- talk with the locals and connect with the local culture. So, I thought I would give it a try and in doing so I experienced one of the most memorable trips of my lifetime.
I put Rick’s philosophy to the test on the plane from Minneapolis to Heathrow. My seat companion was visiting family that lived northeast of London. She told me about Marks & Spencer (M&S) where I could get a good sandwich. She was right. Some are large like grocery stores and others are small like a Quick trip. There is a M&S in Bath at 16-18 Stall Street which also has a cash machine for getting pounds. Our guide Roy favored Waitrose. There is a Waitrose in London next to the Gloucester Road tube station.
I was taught to not speak to strangers, keep your head down and don’t make eye contact when in a strange city. But Rick has a different philosophy on travel- talk with the locals and connect with the local culture. So, I thought I would give it a try and in doing so I experienced one of the most memorable trips of my lifetime.
I put Rick’s philosophy to the test on the plane from Minneapolis to Heathrow. My seat companion was visiting family that lived northeast of London. She told me about Marks & Spencer (M&S) where I could get a good sandwich. She was right. Some are large like grocery stores and others are small like a Quick trip. There is a M&S in Bath at 16-18 Stall Street which also has a cash machine for getting pounds. Our guide Roy favored Waitrose. There is a Waitrose in London next to the Gloucester Road tube station.
Tour Prep:
The Rick Steves' website, DVDs and tour books provided a wealth of information. I downloaded Rick Steves' Audio Europe to my phone and added anything about England to the playlist. I thought I had packed light but have much to learn on that front! I found very useful information reviewing the Tour Alum scrapbook postings. I even contacted a tour alum from 2016 with some questions and she was kind enough to reply.
Link to Rick Steve's Tours: www.ricksteves.com/tours/england-scotland/england
Getting to Bath:
The Rick Steves' website, DVDs and tour books provided a wealth of information. I downloaded Rick Steves' Audio Europe to my phone and added anything about England to the playlist. I thought I had packed light but have much to learn on that front! I found very useful information reviewing the Tour Alum scrapbook postings. I even contacted a tour alum from 2016 with some questions and she was kind enough to reply.
Link to Rick Steve's Tours: www.ricksteves.com/tours/england-scotland/england
Getting to Bath:
- It took me about an hour to get through customs after arriving at Heathrow so plan your other transportation accordingly.
- On the recommendations of Peter Moore, I took the 13:30 National express coach from Heathrow terminal 2 to Bath spa coach station which was a direct coach. Link coach.nationalexpress.com/nxbookin/journey-list. I bought my ticket while still in the states. Note not all the coaches are direct as the coach leaving at 14:10 was a much longer journey with a change of coaches.
- The Heathrow express train to London Paddington is another option. There is a 30 day advance express saver that will save some money, but it is nonrefundable if you miss the train you request. From London Paddington you take the train to Bath Spa. The train leaves every 30 minutes. Link to Heathrow express: www.heathrowexpress.com/booking/ticket-selection. Link to National rail: ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/service/timesandfares./PAD/BTH/280417/1300/dep
- Lots of walking. Bring comfortable, sturdy, waterproof shoes and rain jacket.
- The Great Britain adapters purchased through Rick Steves work in England and Wales. I took 3 along, one for the phone, one for camera battery and one extra. I put address labels and added my cell phone number on my cords and adapters so if I forgot anything the hotel would know whose it was.
- I packed two different sets of clothes, one for the tour and one for London. That was a mistake. What I wore on the tour would have been fine in London. I ended up buying an extra bag at Millets in Bath.
- Take the suggestion from Rick Steves and tear out the pages from the guide books you will need rather than pack the whole book. I brought the whole book, Best of England and London and ended up tearing out the pages while we toured.
- Bring a highlighter and mark your map with places you want to see and closest tube or bus station. This is especially helpful when in London.